Five ways to pray for your pastor

Pastors have one of most stressful jobs in the world, and any Kingdom battle worth fighting calls for more resources than the pastor has on his own. Your pastor can’t lead the church without God’s help and your help. He needs love, grace, support and prayer from your congregation. Here are five ways to pray right now.

Pray for him physically.

Pray for your pastor’s health. Most pastors don’t think of their health enough. To be truly taking care of himself so that he can care for others, your pastor needs to be seeing his doctor for his yearly checkup, taking time to exercise, resting and eating well. If possible, think of ways your church could help in this area. For example, could you provide him with a gym membership?

Pray for him mentally.

Pray for your pastor’s thoughts. Pastors carry the weight of many people’s struggles, and they are never “off duty.” Most of the time, the pastor hears more negative news than positive news because they deal with messy lives, and the internal battles are intense. Pastors tend to walk around feeling defeated because of the negativity of their church members and critics. The devil is the doubt caster and tells a pastor that he is not good enough. Make sure your pastor does not quit. Pray for him and be an encouragement to him. Could you send your pastor a card or even a gift card or other token of appreciation for your pastor and his family? These little things matter for mental capacity.

Pray for him emotionally.

Pray for your pastor’s emotions. This may be a shocker, but your pastor will wake up one Sunday and think, I can’t do this another Sunday. Pastors often feel defeated and drained due to the emotional rollercoaster of always giving to others and having little time to fill up personally. Is there a way that you can help ease the burden? Take your pastor out to lunch on Sunday, tell him you love him and ask him if you can help him with anything.

Pray for him morally.

Pray for your pastor’s purity. The Internet, commercials and even women they meet can be a temptation. A pastor once told me that any pastor can have a moral failure if two people to have a weak moment at the same time. The culture we live in is filled with immorality. Help your pastor by making it easy for him to avoid being alone with the opposite sex. Make sure he has an open area to meet people such as a conference room with window. Take the initiative to purchase blocking software for his computer so that he is protected. Don’t put your pastor on a pedestal, but him on your prayer list.

Pray for him relationally.

Pastors can feel alone because their world can be spiritual and reclusive as they lead and guide the church. Make sure your pastor is personally invited to events. Take him out to lunch or to a sporting event, stop by and surprise him with his favorite lunch, or make plans with him to do something he enjoys, whether it’s golf or video games. Book some time with your pastor and be that friend to speak life into him.

Our pastors need us to step in and help them stand. Make a commitment to pray for your pastor on a daily basis.

Gary Mortiz serves as the church revitalization director at the Baptist Convention of New England.